Apparatus for maintaining the slice opening in a papermaking headbox

ABSTRACT

ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT FOR SLICE LIP FOR PRESSURE HEAD BOX FOR PAPERMAKING MACHINE IN WHICH THE SLICE LIP HAS A TIP EXTENDING ACROSS THE BREAST ROLL AND FOURDRINIER WIRE ON THE ROLL. A BEAM IS SUPPORTED ON STATIONARY SUPPORTS INDEPENDENTLY OF THE HEAD BOX TO EXTEND ACROSS THE BREAST ROLL IN VERTICALLY SPACED RELATION WITH RESPECT TO THE BREAST ROLL AND FOR VERTICAL ADJUSTMENT RELATIVE TO THE BREAST ROLL. SUSPENSION LINKS SUSPEND THE SLICE LIP FROM THE BEAM. THE SUPPORT FOR THE BEAM COMPRISES ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT LEGS TO WHICH THE BEAM IS CONNECTED, THE SUPPORT LEGS HAVING AT THE BOTTOM ENDS ARCUATE SHAPED END MEMBERS WHICH ARE SUPPORTED BY AND ROCKABLE ON BEARING BLOCKS WHICH ARE IN TURN SUPPORTED BY SECURED BLOCK SUPPORTS. THE ARCUATE SHAPED END MEMBERS OF THE SUPPORT LEGS ARE SUP-   PORTED ON THE BEARING BLOCKS COINCIDENT WITH THE POINT OF INTERSECTION OF EXTENDED RADIAL LINES EXTENDING FROM THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF THE BREAST ROLL THROUGH THE TIP OF THE SLICE LIP. THE POSITION OF THE SLICE LIP MAY THUS BE ADJUSTED WITH RESPECT TO THE PERIPHERY OF THE BREAST ROLL ALONG THIS RADIAL LINE TO MAINTAIN THE TIP OF THE SLICE LIP IN THE SAME FIXED RELATION WITH RESPECT TO THE BREAST ROLL, REGARDLESS OF UPWARD DEFLECTION OF THE SLICE LIP BY THE UPWARD FORCES OF THE STOCK OF THE LIP.

Feb. 9, 1971 R. A. BECK ETAL 3,562,106

APPARATUS FOR MAINTAINING THE SLICE OPENING IN A PAPERMAKING HEADBOXOriginal Filed Dec. 15, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 9, 1971 R. A. BECKETAL 3,562,!

I APPARATUS FOR MAINTAINING THE SLICE OPENING IN A PAPERMAKING HEADBOXOriginal Filed Dec. 15, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 9, 1971 BECK ETAL3,562,106

APPARATUS FOR MAINTAINING THE SLICE OPENING IN A PAPERMAKING I-IEADBOX'Original Filed Dec. 15, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent3,562,106 APPARATUS FOR MAINTAINING THE SLICE OPENING IN A PAPERMAKINGHEADBOX Ralph A. Beck, Thomas G. McKie, and Donal J. Wolf, Beloit, Wis,assignors to Beloit Corporation, Beloit, Wis., a corporation ofWisconsin Continuation of application Ser. No. 601,987, Dec. 15, 1966.This application Feb. 2, 1970, Ser. No. 7,355 Int. Cl. D21f 1/02 U.S.Cl. 162-317 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Adjustable support forslice lip for pressure head box for papermaking machine in which theslice lip has a tip extending across the breast roll and Fourdrinierwire on the roll. A beam is supported on stationary supportsindependently of the head box to extend across the breast roll invertically spaced relation with respect to the breast roll and forvertical adjustment relative to the breast roll. Suspension linkssuspend the slice lip from the beam. The support for the beam comprisesadjustable support legs to which the beam is connected, the support legshaving at the bottom ends arcuate shaped end members which are supportedby and rockable on bearing blocks which are in turn supported by securedblock supports. The arcuate shaped end members of the support legs aresupported on the bearing blocks coincident with the point ofintersection of extended radial lines extending from the axis ofrotation of the breast roll through the tip of the slice lip. Theposition of the slice lip may thus be adjusted with respect to theperiphery of the breast roll along this radial line to maintain the tipof the slice lip in the same fixed relation with respect to the breastroll, regardless of upward deflection of the slice lip by the upwardforces of the stock of the lip.

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 601,987,filed Dec. 15, 1966, now abandoned.

In high speed papermaking machines employing a pressure head box andparticulary such machines as are used to produce tissue, in order toproduce suflicient flow of stock to uniformly produce the paper at highspeeds, the pressure inside the head box is necessarily high. With suchhigh pressures, the pressure developed on the slice lip as the stockpasses beneath it, creates an upward force on the lip and within thehead box with the result that the head box and slice body tend to bedistorted or deflected and clearance between the slice lip and wire mayvary, reducing or increasing the slice opening. The upward forces on theslice lip may even tend to deflect the slice lip into the Fourdrinierwire.

It is, accordingly, a principal object of the present invention toremedy the foregoing deficiencies in papermaking machines by providing anew and improved form of mounting and adjustment means for the slice lipof a papermaking machine in which uniform clearance between the tip ofthe slice lip and the Fourdrinier wire is maintained regardless ofdeflection of the head box and lifting pressures on the slice lip.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved form of slicelip and adjusting and support means therefor, arranged with a viewtoward supporting the tip of the slice lip for adjustment radially ofthe axis of rotation of the breast roll of a papermaking machine andmaintaining a fixed gap between the tip of the slice lip and the breastroll.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved form ofhead box and slice lip for high speed papermaking machinery arrangedwith a view toward 3 ,562,106 Patented Feb. 9, 1971 ice preventingvariations in the slice opening by upward lifting pressures on theheadbox front wall and slice lip.

A still further object of the invention is to improve upon the headboxes and slice lips of papermaking machinery, by transversely pivotingthe slice lip to extend from the headbox front wall over the breast rolland the Fourdrinier wire trained thereabout, and by supporting the slicelip on a transverse beam supported for adjustable movement radially ofthe axis of rotation of the breast roll and tiltable about an axisextending transversely through the tip of the slice lip, to retain auniform slice opening regardless of upward pressure of the stock on theunderside of the slice lip.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and improved formof papermaking machine and head box therefor, in which the tip of theslice lip is adjustable with respect to the periphery of the breast rolland Fourdrinier wire trained thereabout along a line extending radiallyof the axis of rotation of the breast roll and intersecting the tip ofthe slice lip, and in which the support for the slice lip is tiltableabout a transverse axis extending through the tip of the slice lip, tomaintain clearance between the tip of the slice lip and the periphery ofthe breast roll constant under all pressure conditions on the undersideof the slice lip.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel form ofadjusting and support means for the upper slice lip of the head box of apapermachine, in which a transverse beam extends across the breast rollin vertically spaced relation with respect thereto, inwhich the supportfor the beam is on rings coaxial with the axis of the breast roll and onrockable shoes intersecting an axis through the tip of the slice lip, toretain the tip of the slice lip for adjustment radially of the axis ofrotation of the breast roll.

These and other objects of the invention will appear from time to timeas the following specification proceeds and with reference to theaccompanying drawings wherein:

'FIG. 1 is a side view of the head box and breast roll of a papermakingmachine constructed in accordance with the principles of the presentinvention, with certain parts of the head box broken away and certainparts of the bearing support for the breast roll shown in verticalsection;

FIG. 2 is a partial fragmentary detail front view of one end portion ofthe machine shown in FIG. 1, with certain parts broken away and certainother parts removed in order to show the mounting for the slice beam andthe mounting of the slice lip on the slice beam;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail view in side elevation, showing certaindetails of the beam support structure shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a partial fragmentary view in side elevation of the head boxand slice lip shown in FIG. 1 with certain parts removed and certainother parts shown in vertical section.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, we haveshown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, a fragment of the forming end portion of apapermaking machine including a head box 11, a breast roll 12 at thedischarge end of the head box and having a Fourdrinier wire 13 trainedthereabout and leading therefrom. The breast roll 12, Fourdrinier wire13 and head box 11 may be of conventional forms and are no part of thepresent invention so need not herein be shown or described further.

The head box 11 is shown as having a bottom wall 15, extendingtransversely across the breast roll between pond sidewalls 16, 16 of thehead box and having a fixed lower slice apron 17 extending thereacrossand recessed therein to form a continuation of the floor or bottom wallextending substantially tangentially of the periphery of the breast roll12.

The head box 11 has an inclined front wall 19 which has a reinforcingbeam structure 25 extending forwardly therefrom. The beam structure 25has a transversely pivoted bottom surface from a generally horizontalcontinuation of the inclined front wall 19, and defining a roof 20 of anadjustable throat opening for the stock. The roof 20 is disposed abovethe bottom wall 15 and apron 17 and terminates into the undersurface ofan adjustable slice lip 21, transversely pivoted to the forward endportion of said roof and extending thereacross. The slice lip 21 has aslice tip 23 having a predetermined spacing with respect to theperiphery of the breast roll 12 and Fourdrinier wire 13 trainedthereabout. The slice tip 23 is radially adjustable with respect to theperiphery of the breast roll and Fourdrinier wire, and cooperatestherewith to define a slice opening 24 controlling the flow anddistribution of the stock in the head box onto the Fourdrinier wire 13.

The roof 20 extends across the bottom of the front wall 19 and ispivoted to a rear end portion 25a (of the beam structure 25) thereof formovement about a fixed pivotal axis on a knuckle pin 26. Said knucklepin is partially recessed in the rear end portion 25a of the beamstructure 25 and the rear end portion 25a is pivotally retained to saidfront wall 19 to form a fixed pivot for the roof 20, by a socket member28.

A knuckle pin 29 is partially recessed in the rear end portion of theslice lip 21 and extends thereabove. The knuckle pin 29 is alsopartially recessed in the forward end portion of the roof 20 and ispivotally retained to said roof by a socket member 30, extending acrossthe top of the roof 20 and forwardly therefrom.

The roof 20 is adjustably moved about the axis of the knuckle pin 26 bysuitable jack means, which may be in the form of at least oneconventional screw jack 32. The screw jack 32 is mounted on the top of abeam 33 mounted on the inside of the pond sidewalls 16 and extendingacross the top of the beam structure 25 and spacing said pond sidesapart. A suspension rod 36 depends from the screw jack 32 and has aclevis 37 at its lower end pivotally connected to a connector 39 on atransverse pivot pin 40.

The connector 39 extends above the socket member and is shown in FIG. 4as being a part of an abutment bracket 41 having an abutment plate 42extending across the top surface thereof. Abutment plates 42 andabutment brackets 41 may be attached to the beam structure 25 and areabutted by air diaphragms 43 extending beneath abutment plates 44. Thefront wall 19 and reinforcing beam structure 25 may be fixed, and thejacks 32 are supported on the fixed beam 33 tying the pond sidewalls 16together. The air diaphragms 43 may thus be loaded to exert a downwardforce on the roof 20 and suspension rods 36. The air diaphragms 43 willthus take up any slack in the screw jacks 32. Thus, as the low velocitystock flow exerts an upward pressure on the roof 20, the air diaphragms43 will push the roof down with a slightly greater force than the upwardpressure exerted by stock flow and thereby avoid variations in the areaof the throat defined by the roof 20, which otherwise may be caused byslack in the screw jacks.

The air diaphragms 43 thus maintain the suspension rods 36 under tensionand eliminate all backlash in the system and in addition counterbalanceupward pressure on the roof. In addition the fixed pivot supporting theroof on the front wall 19, in cooperation with the jacks 32 and airdiaphragms 43, permits indexing of the roof with respect to the surfaceof the wire and holds the spac ing between the roof and the apron 17constant, regardless of movement of the head box.

A cross beam 27 is supported above the breast roll 12 to extendthereacross and forms an adjustable support for the slice lip 21. Thebeam 27 is of a generally box-like 4 form and forms an adjustablesuspension means for the slice lip 21 on adjustment studs 101 threadedat their upper ends in plates 103 abutting the bottom of the beam 27,and threaded at their lower ends in collars 104 extending upwardly ofthe top surface of the slice lip 21. The adjustment studs 101 areprovided to correct for crossdeflection of the beam or slice lip, toprovide a true slice lip and uniform slice opening.

The cross beam 27 is supported at its opposite ends on rockable arcuateshaped end members 106, rockingly supported on bearing :blocks 107,mounted on the top surfaces of wedge blocks 109. The support for eachend of the beam is the same so the support for one end only need hereinbe shown and described in detail. The arcuate shaped end members 106 arepartially recessed within the bottom of and secured to a support leg 110slidably guided in an end of the cross beam 27 and extending thereabove.The support leg 110 abuts the bottom of and forms a support for a plate111 having at least one jack 112 mounted thereon and extendingthereabove. As shown in FIG. 1 two pairs of jacks 112 are provided, apair of jacks supporting each end of the beam 27. The jacks 112 areconnected to be operated together, although two jacks need notnecessarily be used, and the jacks may be replaced by shims if desired.The jacks 112 may be conventional screw jacks operated :by a common handwheel 113. Said jacks have vertically movable adjustment rods 115, shownas being threaded in the top surface of a reduced end portion 116 of thecross beam 27. The jacks 112, therefore, may adjustably move the crossbeam 27 along the support legs 110, and thereby adjust the spacing ofthe slice tip 23 with respect to the periphery of the breast roll 12.

The wedge block 109 is mounted on a wedge block support 117 having anarcuate base extending beyond opposite sides of said support andconforming to and mounted on a non-rotatable bearing housing 120, forthe bearings (not shown) for the breast roll 12.

The wedge block support 117 is mounted on the bearing housing 120 withits centerline extending radially of the axis of rotation of the breastroll through the tip 23 of the slice lip 21. The wedge block support isthen secured in this position, as :by machine screws 121.

The arcuate shaped end members 106 has an arcuate engaging surfacerockingly engaging the bearing block 107, along a point of contactcoincident with the transverse axis extending through the slice tip 23,to accommodate upward deflection of the slice lip about the point ofcontact of the arcuate shaped end members 106 with the :block 107. Theblock 107 may be a hardened block spaced from the wedge block 109 toalign the top surface of said wedge block with the slice tip 23 by shims123. The shims 123 cooperate with the wedge block 109 to establish firmcontact between the arcuate shaped end member and the hardened bearingblock 107 and to adjust the spacing of the slice tip 23 with respect tothe surface of the breast roll 12. The wedge block 109 may be adjustablymoved along the top surface of the support 117 to bring its top surfacegenerally parallel to the line of travel of the wire 13, and may be heldin located position on the top surface of the Wedge block support as bydowels (not shown) or any other suitable locating means. The bearingblocks 107 in turn may be held in position by machine screws 124 (FIG.3).

The cross beam 27 is also suspended from spaced sus pension rods 128depending from screw jacks 129, like the screw jacks 32 and shown inFIG. 4 as mounted on a stationary slice beam structure 127 connectingthe pond sidewalls 16 together. The screw jacks 129 are operable tovertically raise the beam 27 and lift the slice lip 21, during wirechanges.

Air springs 125 are interposed between the top surface of the slicesupport beam 27 and the undersides of brackets 126 extending outwardlyof the pond sidewalls 16. The air springs 125 are of a conventional formand are mounted between the top side of the beam 27 and the underside ofthe brackets 126 in a conventional manner, so need not herein be shownor described further.

The beam 27 and slice lip 21 are thus adjustably supported on the breastroll independently of the head box, as in the form of the inventionillustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4 inclusive. This maintains the tip 23 of theslice lip 21 in fixed spaced relation with respect to the periphery ofthe breast roll 12 and the Fourdrinier wire 13 passing thereabout, andso supports the slice lip that upward pressures on the slice body andslice lip, or displacement of the head box will have no effect on theclearance between the tip 23 and the periphery of the breast roll 12.

It may be seen from the foregoing that a novel and improved form of headbox and adjustable mounting for the slice lip at the discharge end ofthe head box has been provided in which the slice opening between thetip of the slice lip and breast roll is maintained constant regardlessof the high pressure forces within the head box tending to deflect thehead box or lift the slice lip.

It may further be seen that with the adjustable support for the slicelip shown and described herein, the support for the slice lip issupported on and adjustable about the axis of the breast roll 12 and issupported for limited angular movement about a transverse axisintersecting the tip of the slice lip. Adjustment of the tip of theslice lip, therefore, will always be on a radial line extending throughthe axis of rotation of the breast roll, assuring that a fixed gap bemaintained between the tip of the slice lip and the surface of thebreast roll 12 and the Fourdrinier wire 13 trained thereabout, whichwill be unaffected by vertical pressures on the front wall and slicelip, or distortion of the head box.

While we have herein shown and described one form in which the inventionmay be embodied, it may readily be understood that various variationsand modifications in the invention may be attained without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the novel concepts thereof.

For example, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that the presentinvention is equally applicable to papermaking machines wherein thecombination of breast roll and wire loop is substituted by anindependent forming roll, such as a cylinder mold or suction roll.

What we claim is:

1. A papermaking machine comprising a breast roll, a Fourdrinier wiretrained about said breast roll, a headbox having a front wall, a bottomwall, and side walls, a beam structure pivotally connected to said frontwall which forms an adjustable throat opening with said bottom wall forstock flowing onto the said Fourdrinier wire from said headbox, a slicelip pivotally connected to said beam structure, said slice lip extendingsubstantially tangentially of said breast roll, said slice lip having atip extending transversely across said breast roll and spaced apredetermined distance from said breast roll, a cross beam extendingabove said breast roll, means suspending said slice lip from said crossbeam and means supporting said cross beam at its ends including asupport leg having an arcuately shaped end member pivotally androckingly engaging a bearing block mounted on a block support means,said rocking occurring about an axis defined by the tip of said slicelip, said axis extending transversely of said breast roll such that saidtip is maintained at said predetermined distance when pivoted about saidaxis in response to upward deflection of said slice lip due to liftingpressures on said slice lip resulting from stock flowing between saidlip and said bottom wall onto said Fourdrinier wire.

2. The structure of claim 1, wherein the means susadjust the distancebetween said slice tip and said breast roll.

4. A papermaking machine comprising: a moving foraminous surface; ameans including a slice for directing a flow of stock onto saidforaminous surface, said slice comprising a roof pivotally connected tosaid means and a slice lip pivotally connected to said roof andextending therefrom adjacent said foraminous surface, said slice lipincluding a slice tip spaced a predetermined distance from saidforaminous surface; and means for supporting said slice tip at saidpredetermined distance upon pivotal movement of said roof and slice lipdue to pressures effected by the flow of stock passing between saidslice lip and said foraminous surface, including a support leg having anarcuate-shaped end, means connecting said support leg to said slice lipimmediately adjacent said slice tip, and stationary bearing meansincluding a bearing surface rockingly supporting said arcuateshaped endof said support leg, the rocking occurring about an axis defined by thetip of the slice lip. 5. A papermaking machine according to claim 4,comprising a roll mounted for rotation, said foraminous surface carriedby said roll, another stationary bearing means and another support legfor rocking contact therewith, the corresponding bearing means andsupport legs disposed adjacent opposite ends of said roll, and saidother support leg also connected by said connecting means to said slicelip adjacent said slice tip. 6. A papermaking machine according to claim4, comprising a stationary slice beam,

a cross beam slidingly coupled to said support legs and pivotallyconnected to said slice beam, and a plurality of adjustable studsconnecting said cross beam to said slice lip adjacent said slice tip. 7.A papermaking machine according to claim 6, wherein said slice beam ispositioned above said foraminous surface and said cross beam, and saidslice lip is suspended from said cross beam with said slice tip directedtoward said foraminous surface.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,898,372 2/1933 Hyde 162347X2,162,097 6/1939 Metcalf 162347X 3,034,578 5/1962 Notbohm 162--3473,321,360 5/1967 Holt 162347X S. LEON BASHORE, Primary Examiner R. H.TUSHIN, Assistant Examiner Us. 01. X.R. 162-214, 347

